Device for crushing cans



T. A. COHEN DEVICE FOR CRUSHING CANS Sept, 15, 1959 .Filed Aug. 14, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 15, 1959' T. A. COHEN 2,90

- DEVICE FOR causumc ems Filed Aug. 14; 1957 I s Sheets- Sheet 2 25 INVENTOR. Theodore Adobe/ 2 Aflorney p 1959 T. A. COHEN ISEVICE FOR CRUSHING CANS Filed Aug.- 14, 1957 United States Patent DEVICE FOR CRUSHING CANS' Theodore A. Cohen, Chicago, 111.

Application August 14, 1957, Serial No. 678,161.

4 Claims. (Cl. 153-105) This invention relates to a device for crushing cans and has for its object the provision of such a device which is simple, safe, and eflicient in operation and economical of manufacture.

Another object is to provide such a device which may be mounted upon a standard container or drum into which the crushed cans may be discharged and which is readily adjustable to any width of such container.

Another object is to provide such a device which is portable.

Another object is to provide such a device which may accommodate a wide variety of sizes and shapes of cans to be crushed.

Another object is to provide such a device the parts of which are readily and conveniently accessible for inspection, renewal, or repair.

Other and further objects of this invention will become more apparent hereinafter as the same becomes better understood from an examination of the specification and claims in conjunction with the accompanying claims wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device for crushing empty cans embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of same;

Pig. 3 is a side elevation of same with the safety hood raised;

Fig. 4 is an end view of said device;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken at the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the device;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken at the line 77 of Fig. 2 showing valve mechanism.

Referring to the drawings more particularly, reference character 1 indicates an air cylinder having an end cap 2, the latter having a central bearing 2a therein. Tie rods 3 serve to bolt the cylinder 1 and cap 2 to a main jaw casting 4. The casting 4 is provided with spaced hubs 4b which are apertured to receive two spaced horizontal bars or bed rails 5 which are parallel to the axis of cylinder 1. Set screws 4a in said hubs provide for adjustably positioning the casting 4 longitudinally on said rails. Tie bar castings 6 and 6a are also apertured to receive the rails 5.

Two draw bars, 7 and 8, one on either side of cylinder 1 are parallel to the axis thereof and extend through suitable bearings in the main jaw casting 4. A piston rod 9 extends through bearing 2a from a piston generally designated 9a in cylinder 1 and is attached at its outer end by a bolt 10 to a draw bar tie casting 11 which in turn is attached to draw bars 7 and S by bolts 12. The tie bars 7 and 8 are are attached by bolts 32 to a movable jaw 27.

A safety hood 13 normally encloses the space between the main jaw casting 4 and the movable jaw 27 for protecting the operator against injury during the crushing operation. Said hood is raisable by means of handle 33. An air line 14 from a source (not shown) of compressed air is connected by a quick disconnect coupler 15 to a valve assembly casting 16 which latter is shown more in ice detail in Fig. 7 and is provided with an integral fitting hub 17 for attaching compressed air fittings 18 and 18a. These fittings 18 and 18a are connected respectively to copper tubes 19 and 20. The tube 19 is connected to an air fitting 22 in a boss 23 in the cap 2. The tube 20 is connected to a similar air fitting 21 in the casting 4 at the base end of cylinder 1. A safety hood hinge plate 24 serves to lock the hood 13 to a cam shaft 31 and is fixed to said shaft by set screws 24a. A rotatable handle 25 with rubber palm guard 26 is freely mounted upon said shaft 31 for ease in transporting the machine.

The ends of the tie bar castings 6 and 6a are provided with hub bearings by which the bed rails 5 are clamped together and these hubs have integral depending lugs 28 for engaging the inner perimeter of a barrel container 29 upon which the can crushing device is adapted to be mounted. Set screws 30 in the hubs of the tie bars 6 and 6a permit adjustment of the tie bar castings upon the bed rails 5 to accommodate different sizes of containers 29.

The movable jaw 27 is provided with spaced bearings 34 by which it is guided upon the bed rails 5. The tie bar 6a has spaced integral hubs 35 which are apertured and provided with set screws for adjustably supporting can stripper rods 36. The rods 36 are for holding a can 37 in position for crushing.

An integral handle 38 is provided on tie bar 6a for help in lifting the device.

In Fig. 3 the device is shown with the fixed jaw 4 and the movable jaw 27 in open position with the hood 13 raised. The dotted line position 27a of the movable jaw indicates the latters closed position wherein the can 37 has been crushed and moved past the ends of the stripper rods 36 where said can (shown in dotted lines in crushed form 37a) may drop down into the container 29 upon subsequent opening of the jaws.

Referring to Fig. 5, piston rod 9 extends through the central boss 2a in the cylinder cap 2. The boss 2acontains a bearing and a sealing O ring 39. A piston assembly 9a is bolted to the inner end of rod 9 by nuts 40 threaded to a reduced portion on said end. Said piston comprises cups 41, and backing and reinforcing discs 42. The cylinder 1 is closed at its outer end by the cap 2 and at its base end by the fixed jaw casting 4, the cylinder ends extending into circular grooves in said cap and jaw casting and engaging sealing gaskets in said grooves. The cylinder assembly is locked together in alignment by said tie rods 3.

The valve assembly casting 16 is attached to the fixed jaw casting 4 by screws 43. The valve function is shown more in detail in Fig. 7. The cam shaft 31, to which the hood 13 is fixedly mounted by plate 24, is cut to provide a cam dwell 44. The casting 16 is chambered to receive a pivotally mounted crank or lever 45 adapted to be actuated about a pivot pin 46 when shaft 31 is rotated by lifting the hood 13. A four-way valve spool 47 is slid-v ably mounted within the casting 16 and is-adapted to be actuated longitudinally against the action of a spring 48 when lever 45 is actuated the spring being retained by hollow retainer screw 53. Valve spool 0 rings 47a act to seal the spaced discs of the spool 47 against air leakage. The stub end 49 of the spool 47 is held in contact with the lower end of lever 45 by the spring 48 and is maintained in alignment by a slotted valve spool guide 50. The casting 16 is provided with an air passage 51 and is threaded to receive a fitting to which is attached the coupling 15 from a source of compressed air (not shown). Screw 53 and guide 50 are each apertured to provide air vents 52 and 52a to the atmosphere. The inner end of passage 51 leads to a needle valve 54 through which said passage is connected to the central chamber between the valve spool discs. Longitudinally-spaced valve ports 55 and 56 in the casting 16 are connected by tubes and 19, respectively, to the cylinder assembly 1 so that when the spool 47 is in the position shown in Fig. 7 corresponding to hood 13 being closed the compressed air from passage 51 is admitted to the base end of the cylinder through'tube 20 causing piston 9a. to move outward to close the jaws 4 and 27 thereby crushing the can 3?. Air from upper end of cylinder exhausts to atmosphere via tube .19, aperture 56 and aperture 52. When the hood is raised, shaft 31 is rotated to actuate crank 45 to force the spool to the right (Fig. 7) closing off port 55 from the air supply and opening port 56 thereto, whereupon air is admitted to tube 19 and the outer end of cylinder 1,-and piston 9a is thereby actuated to open the crushing jaws 4 and 27. Air from base end of cylinder is exhausted to atmosphere conversely, via tube 20, aperture 55, and aperture 52a.

Operation When it is desired to crush a can the hood 13 is raised and swung to the open position shown in Fig. '3. This causes cam shaft 31, which is locked to the hood by hinge plate 24, to rotate. This actuates lever 45 to move valve 47 to the right of the position shown in Fig. 7 cutting oif air supply to port 55 and admitting air to port 56 to actuate the piston 9 to open the jaws by pulling the bar 11 to move the draw bars 7 and '8 through bearings 4 to 'open the movable jaw '27. The can 37 to be crushed is dropped down upon stripper bars 36. The hood is then lowered into closed position revolving shaft 31', allowing lever 45 to snap the valve spool 47 to position shown in Fig. 7 wherein air is admitted to port 55 and cut off from port 56 causing the piston to move to close the jaws 4 and 27 crushing can. In the course of crushing the can is moved past the ends of the stripper bars 36, and held in position by closed jaws. Upon subsequent opening of the jaws when the hood is again raised, said can drops down into the container, for scrap storage.

Needle valve 54 may be adjusted to vary the rate of compressed air admission to cylinder 1 and thus vary the time of the cylinder stroke.

The distance which stripper bars 36 extend into the opening between the jaws may be varied by use of the set screws in their supporting hubs in the bar 6a, for setting clearance in can crushing, while being able to adapt machine to be mounted on various size containers.

The safety hood control to prevent injury during the crushing operation renders the device practically foolproof.

Trigger action of valve spool is obtained by cam shaft and lever arrangement, suddenly releasing spring energy to snap valve spool to opposite position. This prevents intermediate position of spool, which would result in air wastage. Spring action on spool to lever to earn fiat puts positive reverse position force on safety hood in closed position.

Lifting handle 26, being freely rotatable on shaft 31, permits it to drop down out of the way of the hood 13 when the latter is raised.

The operation and advantages of the aforedescribed device will be apparent without further description.

I am aware that many changes may be made and details varied without departing from the principles of my invention and therefore do not wish to be limited to the details shown or described.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combina tion of a pair of relatively movable jaws, a removable protective closure over the space therebetween, means automatically operable upon said closure being in protective position over said space for closing said jaws, said means comprising a piston and a slide valve for controlling same connected to said closure for control thereby, the connection between said closure and valve including a spring a lever, said valve and lever being operable by said spring in one direction and a cam operable by said closure to actuate said lever in the opposite direction to provide trigger-like releasing means providing snap action from one position of the valve to the opposite position thereof.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair of relatively movable jaws, a removable protective closure over the space therebetween and means automatically operable upon the removal of said closure for opening said jaws and automatically operable upon said closure being in protective position over said space for closing said jaws, said means comprising a piston and a slide valve for controlling same connected to said closure for control thereby the connection between said closure and valve including a spring a lever, said valve and lever being operable by said spring in one direction and a cam operable by said closure to actuate .said lever in the opposite direction to provide trigger-like releasing means providing snap action from one position of the valve to the opposite position thereof.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair of relatively movable jaws, a removable protective closure over the space therebetween and means automatically operable upon the removal of said closure for opening said jaws said means comprising a piston and a four-way valve for controlling same and connected to said closure for control thereby, said valve having two ports for receiving compressed air and two ports for exhausting air to the atmosphere and being connected to said piston so that in one position of said valve one air .port is connected to one side of said piston and one exhaust port is connected to the opposite side of the piston for causing the jaws to close and in the other position of said valve the second air port is connected to the opposite side of said piston and the second exhaust port is connected to the first side of the piston for causing the jaws to open.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair of relatively movable jaws, a removable protective closure over the space therebetween and means automatically operable upon the removal of said closure for opening saidjaws said means comprising a piston and a four-way valve for controlling same and connected to said closure for control thereby, said valve having two ports for receiving compressed air and two ports for exhausting air to the atmosphere and being connected to said piston so that in one position of said valve one air port is connected to one side of said piston and one exhaust .port is connected to the opposite side of the piston for causing the jaws to close and in the other position of said valve the second airport is connected to the opposite side of said piston and the second exhaust port is connected to the first side of the piston for causing the jaws to open the connection between said valve and closure including a spring and trigger-like releasing means .providing snap action from one position of the valve to the opposite position thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,398,438 Metzner Apr. 16, 1946 2,603,271 Heymers July 15, 1952 2,813,569 Nelson Nov. 19, 1957 UNITED STATES PATENT ,OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Pat t N 2,904 ,097 September 15, 1959 Theodore A6 Cohen It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 68, column 4, lines 12, 27, and 44,- for "of the character described", each occurrence, read for crushing discarded containers column 3, line 69, and column 4, lines 13, 28, and 45, strike out "relatively movable", each occurrence; column 3, line 69, and column 4, lines 13, 28, and 45, after "jaws", each occurrence, insert one relatively movable with respect to the other column 4, lines 6 to 9, and lines 21 to 24, beginning with "a lever" and ending with "to provide", each occurrence, read a lever, said valye and lever being operable by said spring in one direction and a cam operable by said closure when the later is opened to actuate said lever in the opposite direction and to release said lever for operation by said spring when the closure is closed to provide column 4, lines 31, and 48, after "jaws", each occurrence, insert and upon closing said closure for closing said jaws same lines 31, and 48, after "piston", each occurrence, insert a floating cross head driven thereby and equalizer draw bars connecting the cross-head and movable jaw lines 32, and 49, for "same", each occurrence, read said piston Signed and sealed this 21st day of June 1960.

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL H. AXLINEII ROBERT C. WATSON Attest'ing Oflicer Commissioner of Patents 

